Shipping Controller
Imagine working with a company whose shipping controller is willing to deliver proofs from the office and pick them up the following morning. Larry Herman did that, though he wouldn’t tell you himself.
In his primary role managing day-to-day operations in shipping and receiving, clients utilizing our warehousing and fulfillment services depend on Larry. VP and publishing clients depend on him, too. Our Publishing Division produces over 30 custom publications that need to mail out on a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis.
Larry received a service award during our Christmas Potluck in 2014 in recognition of 20 years of service. He is an Eagle Scout and an Air Force veteran. Outside of the company, he is an officer and youth director of a local chapter of the Knights of Columbus; a volunteer District Deputy for the State of Michigan Knights of Columbus; and spent many, many years in various leadership roles for the Boy Scouts.
What goals do you have for yourself and for your co-workers?
To make sure whoever is working in shipping and the warehouse is properly trained in forklift safety. We work daily to provide the best customer service that we can by shipping or delivering products in the most efficient way. We follow up with the CSRs if there is a conflict with an inbound or outbound shipment so that it can be relayed to the customer.
Can you explain some specifics about safety?
Every few years I attend a “Train the Trainer” course, which trains me to train others in the safety aspects of industrial trucks (forklifts). During this course, we learn what OSHA has changed in regards to training or safety and I then bring that back to VP-DCS. Every three years, every operator does a review on their training, just to keep current. We do our own preventive maintenance in house to reduce risk and injury to our fellow employees. This preventive maintenance ensures that a safe operator will reduce the damage to our clients’ products as well.
What value do you provide clients, through yourself and through your team?
The most important value that I can offer customers is my knowledge and expertise in regards to shipping and receiving because of my 20 years of experience. Customers can also get this from the whole shipping team, because I feel that I do my best to train all new employees to gain the experience and knowledge that I have.
Many clients utilize warehousing and fulfillment services, so they depend on your department to handle the management of a lot of their products and materials. How do you ensure that they “get what they paid for”?
Through safety and training. Every industrial truck operator has been instructed on the proper way to load and unload product without causing damage to the final product. When a job hits the shipping department, we ensure that the job makes it to the fulfillment services within the same day so the job is ready to be received into inventory so our clients can start using or promoting their new items.
What’s the best part of your job at VP?
The chance to do something different every day.
